Craik and
Lockhart:
Levels of
processing
Mandy, Samantha &
Jessica
Levels of processing model
 The
theory that after information leaves
sensory memory, its storage varies along a
continuum of levels of processing ranging
from shallow to deep processing; the level
of processing used during encoding
determines how long and how well
information is stored.
 Shallow processing: processing
information using structural encoding
 Structural
encoding: Encoding information
according to its basic (structural)
perceptual features.
 Intermediate processing: processing
information using phonemic encoding.
 Phonemic encoding: encoding
information according to the sound of the
words used to identify the information.
 Deep processing: processing information
using semantic encoding.
 Semantic encoding: encoding
information according to its meaning.
 Associates
new memory with old memory
SHALLOW:
Produces weak
memory traces that
fade rapidly.
INTERMEDIATE:
Produces memory
traces stronger than
those produced by
structural encoding but
not as strong as
semantic encoding.
DEEP:
Produces long lasting
memory traces.
Two major types of memory in
Long-term memory (LTM)
Types of memory in Long-term
memory (LTM)

Procedural Memory: Learnt actions and skills




Example – memories of how to do things such as
walk, talk, juggle or ride a bike. This is known as
Procedural Memory.
Although these memories are in our LTM, they
often involve complicated sequences of
movements that we are usually unaware of or
that we are unable to articulate. Therefore we
only fully express a procedural memory as an
action.
Procedural memories appear to register in low
brain areas that are beyond conscious control.
These memories are the LTM types that are most
resistant to forgetting.
 Declarative

The LTM stores factual information


Example: names, faces, words, dates and
ideas
Expressed as words or symbols


Memory: Facts and Rules
Example: knowing that Melbourne is the
capital of Victoria or that you received a blue
bicycle for your 10th birthday
Psychologists divided as Semantic
memory and Episodic memory

Semantic Memory: Meaning

A type of Declarative memory for impersonal
factual knowledge about the world


Episodic Memory: Time and Place

A type of Declarative memory for personally
significant events associated with specific times
and places.


Example: the names of objects, the days of the
week, months of the year, simple mathematic
skills, words and language and other general
facts. (non-personal information)
Example: birthday celebration and your first day
at High School.
People convey these memories by stating “I
remember when…” where as Semantic
memories state “I know what…”
Semantic Network Theory



The Semantic Network Theory suggests that longterm memories are stored and organised in the
concepts (nodes) based on shared meaning and
connected by meaningful links.
New information that has a similar meaning to
information already stored in LTM is stored close to
that similar information already in LTM.
The links may be based on similarity of rules,
images, categories, symbols, formal meaning or
personal meaning.
 Example: ‘Canary’ is probably closer to ‘bird’ in
your semantic network than ‘animal’ is to
‘canary’.